The present invention relates to a product and method for deodorizing and freshening a microwave oven.
Microwave ovens, as other kitchen appliances such as convection ovens and refrigerators, are subject to becoming odorous from use, and the odors that remain in the microwave oven will affect the flavor and odors of other food that is heated therein. For example, making popcorn in the microwave oven often results in a residual popcorn odor that remains in the microwave oven after the popcorn has been removed. A microwave deodorizer is needed to remove such residual odors from the microwave oven.
Conventional deodorizing methods have been used for kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens, as well as convection ovens and refrigerators. They usually require a user to either manually spread some type of cleaning or deodorizing substance throughout the inner surface of the appliance, with, for example a paper towel. Such methods require substantial manual effort from the user.
Room freshening products and methods have been used which involve heating up the room freshening product in the microwave oven, removing the product from the microwave oven, exposing an inner portion of the product to the ambient air in the room and permitting a vapor generated therefrom to spread throughout the room. However, such products are designed so that the vapors generated therefrom are not released until the product is removed from the microwave oven. The microwave oven remains unaffected.
The present invention relates to a safe and effective product and method for deodorizing and freshening a microwave oven. The substances used in the product and method will not cling to foods and can be used repeatedly (as often as one needs to deodorize a microwave oven).
In one aspect, the present invention provides a microwave deodorizer including a volatile medium contained in an absorbent material. When the microwave deodorizer is heated within a microwave oven, the microwave deodorizer releases a deodorizing vapor in a manner designed to deposit a deodorizing residue on the inner surface of the microwave oven.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for deodorizing a microwave oven including the steps of heating a microwave deodorizer to an elevated temperature within a microwave oven, releasing a deodorizing vapor in the microwave oven and coating an inner surface of the microwave oven with a deodorizing residue formed with the deodorizing vapor contacts the inner surface, where the microwave deodorizer includes an absorbent material and a volatile medium contained therein.